20 Best Film Directors Of The Decade (So Far)
8. Paul Thomas Anderson
2010s Films: The Master, Inherent Vice
Upcoming Projects: Untitled New York Fashion Drama
P.T. Anderson is operating on another level, and in the past six years has really pushed himself, making his most thoughtful and intentionally thoughtless films. In total it's not as jaw-dropping as what he achieved in the 2000s, but you can't fault his vision; The Master is his magnum opus, a film masquerading as a Scientology take-down but really about the meaning of manhood, and Inherent Vice was a meandering faze-out by purposeful intention.
From a filmmaking perspective, both are flawless, and the performances (especially from Joaquin Phoenix as the lead in both) remind how personable a director Anderson can be.
Next up is a drama about the fashion industry in 1950s NYC starring Daniel Day Lewis. Expect plentiful quotings of "MILKSHAKE!" and probably a few more Oscar noms.